Gentlemen…if you have a daughter, I highly recommend reading “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters”. The book changed my perspective on the father/daughter relationship leaving me wishing I would have read this book before she was born. I read it almost 2 years ago and she is 10 now. The book is centered around the importance of a strong father figure as she grows, through all stages of life.

A father’s relationship with his daughter will help her through some the difficulties of growing up and being a young adult. A girl’s self esteem can be impacted based on her relationship with her father. The reality is it is a very scary time to raise a daughter. And as her father, my relationship with her will have the most impact of any person in her life. My relationship with her can impact the boys she is attracted to and the type of man she will marry. She’s also going to pay attention to how I treat Rachel; I should set the example of how she should expect be treated. The book was both frightening and a motivational call to action. Some of the actions I needed to take have both strengthened my relationship with my daughter while pushing me to be a better human. This booked challenged me to take her on 32 daddy/daughter dates in 2021. We’re going to beat that goal in 2022.

I cherish the moments we get out of the house, put the technology down (except music while I’m educating her on 80’s hard rock) and just hang out together. It’s also a nice break for Rachel to get time to herself (which she usually does something unselfishly for us–love you hottie). And it is paying off. She has began opening up to me, asking important life questions. We have more discussions than at any point. We’ve recently made it a point to read BIble stories at night as often as possible which often leads into other conversations. I can’t recommend it enough.